Blake Lively - Live It Up!

Ever since Gossip Girl exploded onto our screens earlier this year, we just can’t get enough! We caught up with golden girl Blake Lively to get all the goss…

How did you land the role of Serena?
(Creator) Josh Schwartz called me about it. A lot of the fans of the Gossip Girl series had seen me in The Sisterhood. Maybe it was because I had long blonde hair, but they were blogging and were like, “She has to be Serena!” I think Josh saw that and he called me and said, “I saw this a few months ago and I wrote the show for you. You have to do this. I will not give it to anyone else.”

Tell us about Serena.
Serena is very complex. She was what you can call a bad girl before and now she’s trying to be good. She’s being pulled in all different angles, from her mum, to her brother, to this good guy, Dan, to Nate, who she still loves, and her best friend. She’s got all of these people pulling on her and she needs to find her place.

What do you think of the teens on the show?
Well, I think all teenagers are different. Some teenagers are much worse than how we are on the show! My character gets caught up in this universe. They’re handed everything on a silver platter and she’s the centre of her own world. She ends up with her best friend’s boyfriend! She wants him, so she takes him. I think what’s so important about her is she realises she was wrong and she needs to reform herself. I think that’s what’s really great. You see people can change. I think everybody has a good soul at the heart of it. But, you know, we’re also teenagers. We’re making mistakes and we’re smart kids.

Can you see how this life of privilege often leads people down the path of Paris Hilton?
I don’t think it’s so much a life of privilege as it is how you were raised. I think parenting is very important. My family is all actors, I grew up with the business around me, but I have such a great family, such a great base. It was never an option for me to become a Paris Hilton type. So I don’t think that it’s money and privilege as much as it is parenting and the importance of education and your surroundings.

What’s it like working on Gossip Girl?
Josh and (producer and writer) Stephanie (Savage) are both so fantastic. They’re very young and they’re very passionate about what they do. It’s very important to them to make a good product. Josh has so much heart in everything he does, from his locations to the actors he uses, to the wardrobe. They approve everything, and that was very important to me. That’s the reason I did the show, because Josh and Stephanie were so passionate about their work.

What’s the coolest thing about being on this TV show?
Oh my gosh! New York is an amazing, amazing factor. The people we get to work with, the clothes are amazing. It’s just a really fun show. The cast is so great. We get along so well. It’s a really great vibe all around.

So you’re all really close offscreen?
I was just saying to someone, we see each other and we get so excited! We’re dancing and singing and handing each other cookies. I thought, “We’re going to be so sick of each other in six years.” It’s so exciting to see each other now though. I hope it always stays that way.

Everyone in the cast is so good looking...
Oh my gosh! I walked onto the set the other day and I was like, “You guys are so beautiful.” It’s incredible. [Laughs]

In real life, do you go for the good guys or the bad guys?
I don’t think there is a good guy or a bad guy, unless it’s a Superman movie. I like someone that makes me laugh. I enjoy someone that’s fun.

The show is very fashion forward. How much input do you get into what you wear?
Our costume designer is so talented, so I don’t have problems with him to start with. He’s very collaborative. You’re able to really pick what you like best for you.